West Philly Cafe Guide

(Photo credit: HappyCow)

No doubt West Philly has an incredible food scene – and an awesome coffee shop scene! Our neighborhood outside of campus is filled with amazing local cafes, bakeries, and coffee shops. There’s such a sense of culture and community in each of these spots – from the locally roasted specialty Philly beans to the  Philly businesses’ goods that many of the cafes sell alongside their own fare.

Especially in the current times of Covid-19, picking up coffee and other goodies at any of these spots and going on a walk or enjoying it in Clark Park is a great way to get out and enjoy Philly safely. These are some of the best spots in West Philly to get cold brew, matcha, or even yummy donuts!

Reanimator Coffee

4705 Pine St

(Photo credit: Yelp)

Reanimator Coffee is on 47th and Pine and an absolute must-try. It roasts its coffee beans right here in Philly (in Kensington!) and has amazing drip coffee, chai lattes, and specialty drinks like the malt ball latte. Also, on weekends, Reanimator sells donuts from Hello Donut Philly, an AMAZING donut shop that features creative new flavors each week like chocolate tahini, miso caramel, and blueberry earl grey. 

Grindcore House x Crust Bakery

4134 Chester Ave

(Photo credit: HappyCow)

Grindcore House is an amazing vegan coffee house with unique drinks like the rose latte (my personal favorite), Swamp Thing (an iced Americano with mint syrup), and a delicious matcha, all with plenty of dairy-free milk options abound. Grindcore also has an impressive menu of breakfast sandwiches made with plant-based ingredients (my favorite is the classic Basic Breakfast Sandwich on an everything Philly muffin). In addition to its cafe items, the Grindcore House in West Philly also sells delicious vegan baked goods from Crust Bakery, including yummy rose pistachio cookies and french toast cinnamon buns.

Vagrant Coffee

4435 Baltimore Ave

(Photo credit: Yelp)

Vagrant is an awesome coffee shop and I totally recommend the brown butter and sage latte or the matcha latte. They also have great breakfast/lunch options like the jalapeno grilled cheese sandwich. It has plenty of seating, including colorful tables outside, not to mention it’s directly across the street from Clark Park.

Dottie’s Donuts

4529 Springfield Ave

Dottie’s is an incredible bakery and cafe with a huge selection of all-vegan donuts! They rotate their selection nearly daily and have cool flavors like cold brew oreo and rosewater pistachio. They also have a selection of staple flavors, such as the classic Boston cream. Definitely check this spot out for yummy donuts and drinks – they even have Thai iced tea!

KnockBox Cafe

405 S 45th St

(Photo)

KnockBox is another amazing cozy coffee spot. They have a delicious light roast called whoopass, and pastries, bagels, sandwiches, and vegan desserts from other Philly bakeries (like Crust Bakery!).

Green Line Cafe

4239 Baltimore Ave

(Photo credit: Yelp)

Green Line has multiple locations nearby, but all of them have such a clean and inviting vibe, and such good coffee. Their chai and matcha drinks are also delicious and high quality, as are their muffins, breakfast sandwiches, and burritos. They even bake vegan cookies in-house — I would recommend the delicious sesame tahini cookie.

Pho & Cafe Saigon

4248 Spruce St

(Photo credit: Yelp)

Pho & Cafe Saigon isn’t just a cafe – it’s a full restaurant with incredible pho, summer rolls, rice dishes, and super kind staff. It had to be included on this list since I’m obsessed with their Vietnamese coffee – it’s so unique and delicious. Their menu also has fresh fruit smoothies and teas alongside all of the delicious Vietnamese dishes.

Jezebel’s Cafe

206-208 S 45th St

(Photo credit: Eater Philly)

(Photo credit: Jezabel’s Cafe)

Jezabel’s Cafe is an Argentinian cafe on 45th street between Walnut and Locust that serves delicious iced coffee and traditional Argentinian empanadas – my favorite kind is the Fugazza, with onions, leeks, and cheese. There’s also a full selection of Argentine pastries, from alfajores (cookie sandwiches filled with yummy dulce de leche), to vigilantes and facturas (different types of Argentine croissants). Another standout here are the delicious tortas – similar to quiches. This cafe is warm and cozy and has a small retail shop inside too displaying handmade items.